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My initial reaction upon hearing the news that Rachel Alexandra had been retired was not one of surprise. I think most of us that have followed her bizarre campaign were half expecting her not to make it to the Breeders' Cup anyway. No, my initial instinct was not surprise. It was disappointment--disappointment of no longer being ...

By Patrick Patten, of Handride The people in charge are right (that is the ethereal “they”): this is not the time for big grandiose ideas.  I just think the correct time was 3 years ago and they want to wait another three years,[rimshot].    There was a plan! Right up until someone said ADW. [cue sad horn “waa-waaaaaaaaa”] Do you ...

Photo by Tony Leonard Real Quiet, 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, and champion 3-year-old colt, has died at age 15. Click here to read more. The bay son of Quiet American (TrueNicks,SRO) came within a nose of winning the Triple Crown when beaten by Victory Gallop in the Belmont Stakes. Earlier in Real Quiet's career, trainer ...

Balance won five stakes including three grade I races—the Santa Anita Oaks, Las Virgenes Stakes, and Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap. Raced by John and Jerry Amerman, she was trained by David Hofmanns.Order this Photo.A millionaire, Balance was retired in November of 2007 as a 4-year-old to Dr. and Mrs. John Chandler’s Mill Ridge Farm near ...

As of Monday morning, my most recent blog post, entitled ''Zenyatta Wins Again -- This Time With Oprah'' http://www.ntra.com/blog/index/view/MTExOQ , has received more than 6,200 page views and elicited more than 350 comments. I want to thank you for the overwhelming response and for the passionate discussion. Buried within the usual back and ...

Some people believe newspapers are dead, but I still enjoy reading USA Today in its print form. In the Sept. 26 edition, there was an interesting article quoting Federal Reserve Chief Alan Greenspan, who said in a speech that a sustained stock rally would be the ''most effective'' stimulus for the sluggish American economy.   It also would ...

With the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) coming up this Saturday, let's take a look back at Princequillo, winner of the 1943 Jockey Club Gold Cup (then contested at 2 miles). He became the sire of Horses of the Year Hill Prince, Dedicate, and Round Table; champion Misty Morn; and influential sire Prince John. Princequillo was leading broodmare sire ...

 (As an addendum to the Secretariat trilogy, I am linking to my story that has been on Secretariat.com for the past several weeks. While we’re all in a Secretariat frame of mind, ponder this: What if Big Red had been racing in today high-tech age? That is the assignment I was given. So, forget the movie and the 1970s for a few minutes and try ...

By Eric Mitchell @EJMitchellKy on Twitter Seeing the results of a recent ESPN SportsNation Fan poll was a kick because horse racing ranked among the top 10 sports. Not only did racing crack the top 10, it was ranked seventh, getting beat out by the NFL, college football, Major League Baseball, college basketball, the NBA, and the NHL. ...

By Scot T. Gillies  In the September issue of The Blood-Horse MarketWatch -- hitting the press this coming week -- Alan Porter reviews the post-WWII history of bloodstock exchanges between Europe and the U.S.  He concludes that, following several waves of imports and exports across five decades, the tide (in the shape of breeders' ...